The field of the disclosure relates generally to the providing of aircraft health data reporting to a user, and more specifically, to methods and systems for cost-based control of aircraft health data reporting.
Vehicles, particularly commercial air, marine and land vehicles, typically include some type of performance monitoring system that records data regarding the vehicle performance, which includes the performance of the various components of the vehicle, such as a fault in one of the vehicle subsystems. The data includes a record of certain performance events that occur during the operation of the vehicle. The performance monitoring system typically conducts data collection and reports all of the data collected to the user. The user then may utilize the data in determining the type of maintenance, if any, that the vehicle may need. For example, if the data indicates that a particular component of the vehicle is malfunctioning or that the performance of one or more components may contribute to a vehicle failure in the future, then the user can perform the appropriate maintenance on the vehicle at the next opportunity.
One problem with current aircraft health reporting systems such as the aircraft communications addressing and reporting system (ACARS) are the costs of transmission. Particularly, automated wireless data link reporting systems such as ACARS are configured to have a standard set of reports that are programmed to be sent every flight, perhaps multiple times per flight.
If airlines make reports of “everything” (e.g., including servicing reports), transmission costs are much higher then needed. However, if the airlines only record the data for later retrieval after the plane lands, for example (and therefore not utilize a data link for transmission to the ground while still in flight), transmission costs are certainly reduced, but an unwanted schedule interruption may result. Specifically, the schedule interruption occurs from not transmitting the report when an emergent condition warrants maintenance action readiness upon landing, and without utilization of the data link such emergent condition information cannot be known until after the airplane lands. Further, some airlines do not always download the recorded data after every flight.
An example scenario illustrating this problem is that tire pressure reports might be sent every flight. But the sending of tire pressure reports is expensive as described above. Under normal circumstances tire pressure readings do not warrant having a maintainer or maintenance center check these pressures every flight. But if the airline turns off the tire pressure reports and stores them for later, the following scenario can occur: a tire pressure drop calls for an immediate maintenance action (replace the wheel and tire) upon arrival at the gate while the passengers disembark/embark. Without the data link providing this information while the aircraft is in flight (e.g., during the take-off phase of flight), a maintenance delay will occur when the aircraft is on ground because of the inability of the airlines to know ahead of time that the tire had to be changed. It is possible that the low pressure situation may not be found until just before departure, during preflight checkout, when a pilot is alerted that the tire pressure is too low for the flight to proceed. The flight must be delayed until the proper maintenance action such as tire replacement. Such delays are bothersome for airline customers and can be costly to the airline. Had the low pressure information been transmitted in flight, the delay could probably have been avoided. In summary, under the currently available health monitoring systems and methods, airlines either incur the transmission expenses or suffer possible on ground schedule delays.